Ping G400 Driver Review

Like most brands, Ping try to get the CG of their drivers as low and far back as they can to make them as forgiving as possible and so far they are the most successful at doing this according to most of the stats I see.

The easy way for me to review the Ping G400 driver is to say that they have managed to go deeper and lower again, but of course there is more to it than that.

To get the CG lower and back you need to take out weight above where the ball impacts the face and they have done this in part by reducing the crown to 0.43mm at its thinnest points.

This is in between the ribs of the Dragonfly design crown that now has an 'Infinity Edge' to it as the rim that was around the back on the previous G Driver has been smoothed out.

The overall shape of the G400 head is also a little more rounded at the back than the G and the whole package looks better at address.

Also on the rear of the crown are some little dots that you can feel and you think might have some aerodynamic benefit, but I am afraid they are just cosmetic.

What does have an aerodynamic benefit are the Turbulators on the front of the crown that are there to reduce friction as the air goes over the head in order to speed it up.

These are now chunkier than they were before to have a little more effect and there are some technical images from wind tunnels that I have seen that show this. On this size of head they are growing on me more than on the smaller heads of the G400 fairway and G400 hybrid and I think visually they combine well with the Dragonfly design to give a subtle, contoured style.

Smaller heads move faster through the air than larger ones and according to Ping's numbers, the 445cc G400 driver is as aerodynamic as the G30 driver shrunk to 295cc, so that is a big improvement in two generations.

The other weight saver is the T9S+ Titanium Forged Face that is 6% thinner can therefore flex 16% more to increase ball speed by 1.2mph at a 105 mph swing speed.

With my slightly slower 100 mph swing on GC2 I was seeing about the same ball speed on a 10.5° head compared to the previous G Driver.

However the launch was up 0.8°, the peak height was up 4 yards and the descent angle was up 3°. However do not be alarmed because this is the design philosophy of all the G400 range to launch it higher with more ball speed to use that deeper CG for more forgiveness and the thinner face and crown to deflect more at impact to add launch.

Now clearly this is not working for me at 10.5°, so I used the Trajectory Tuning Technology 2.0 adjustable hosel (where would we be without three word technologies) to adjust the loft down 0.6° and then 1° on both clubs.

With the smaller change at effectively 9.9° I ran into the same issue, but at full adjustability of 9.5° the distance gains really kicked in as the straight flight delivered more ball speed, with less spin on the same launch as the G 10.5° but with a higher flight.

Essentially by de-lofting, the straighter face adds ball speed with less spin and the deeper CG increases the MOI and combines with the thinner crown and face which is deflecting more to add to the launch angle. Simples.

It also changes the lie a little too, although the 'standard' neutral lie is 59°, 1° up from the 'average' quoted lie of 58°. Changing the loft to the small +/- of 0.6° drops it 1° below average to 57° and changing the loft to the big +/- of 1° drops the lie to 0.2° below average to 57.8°.

This could be too much information, but this is how these hosels work in every head as the change in loft also affects lie as the shaft receptor in the hosel is not bored straight in order to make the loft adjustable. This is entirely subjective, but for me I preferred the change in lie when I adjusted the loft away from 'neutral' for no other reason than it felt better.

So you can see here how playing with the initial head loft of 9° or 10.5° and the adjustable hosel to get the right launch conditions is the key to the G400 and that by having a higher launch, you can do down a little in loft that has the benefit of increasing ball speed, without losing forgiveness and possibly gaining some accuracy.

With both the last two models the delofting required has probably been minimal, but I would guess that if you have a G30 driver or older then you could be looking at coming down a degree or more in head loft and a Ping fitter can help you with this.

The deeper CG comes from the tungsten weight that is placed behind the gold screw weight that Ping use to modify the head weight during their custom fitting process.

The G400 gold weight is made from a 30% denser material than the previous G sole weight and as a result it is smaller and looks better too.

Like before there is also a G400 SF Tec option that uses Straight Flight Technology (more TWT) where the tungsten weight moves from the back of the sole towards the heel in order combined with a lighter D0 swing weight and allow the face to square more easily for those of us who have a little leakage to the right.

Available in 10° and 12° the SFT was first introduced in the G30 and I felt it was a really good option and it has been good to see that it has grown to become the biggest selling head option in the G driver range and I expect that to continue with the G400.

At the other end of the scale is the low spin LS Tec where the tungsten is moved forward in front of the gold weight to lose around 300 rpm spin from the 8.5° and 10° heads.

So as you can see there are a lot of loft and head options as well as two different lengths of the counterbalanced Alta CB shaft.

The standard length is 45.75 inches, but there is also a 'Tour Length' 45.25 inch shaft which may suit more golfers for better accuracy. Both come in a copper colour that morphs into black as you put the club down at address, which is a cool feature on this and all the other G400 woods.

However I have saved the best bit for last, because the Ping G400 is the best sounding and feeling G driver Ping has done for a while, quite possibly back even to the G2 and G5. It is a much lower pitched, richer sound that makes this one of the best sounding drivers in the market.

This has been achieved by using the same Dragonfly ribs on the inside of the head to not only provide additional stability, but also to modify the sound to caress your ears as you blast one into the atmosphere.

Every Ping G driver is good, a little bit better than the last through solid engineering, but with the improvement in looks and sound, the Ping G400 should go down as one of their best, so check it out.

User Reviews

William

September 2018

I demo a Ping driver at my local course not knowing I could, so was happy when the pro told me I could take one out. The difference I felt was in the contact itself, flight & definitely distance maybe I just had a great day but my game was stellar and I enjoyed the club immensely enough to buy, I’ll see.

Hammer10

May 2018

This Ping driver is the real deal. I had a Ping G which was very forgiving and long. However, the G400 has a different sound as the ball makes contact with the club. Distance is about 10 yards further and is a little more forgiving. That's my two cents!!

Kp rush

May 2018

Really like it. Very good college golfer from Wake Forest introduced me to it. Have them all 😊 this last year. Latest TaylorMade, Callaway, all the right shafts and fittings and adjustments. Played the off the shelf 9 degree G400..best driver I have had for years

Now a Ping driver convert.

April 2018

All I can say is Wow! After a fitting came up with something completely different than I thought I would need, I bought a G400 SFT 12 degree with the Alta 55 shaft, and I’ve got a driver that’s more consistent than the many drivers I’ve had before. Despite its 12 degrees loft it’s a little longer than my previous Cobra 9 Degree Baffler offset, but is in the fairway pretty much every time I’ve hit it. My slice has gone and I’m playing from the fairway off most tee shots. One thing I have found is that I have to commit to the shot or if I don’t, the SFT turns into a hook and I’m in the left rough, somewhere I’ve never been before. Love this club and look forward to hitting it. Thanks Ping!

CJS Heera

January 2018

After a long wait, found perfect driver for perfect swing. You may call it confidence enhancer.

Oki

January 2018

Bought the new ping driver G400 and G400 fairway wood on new year's eve. It's amazing really accurate and more distance with my swing speed 105-110, the G400 driver and fairway make me more confident and you know..make some birdie and par looks easy LOL. Thank you Ping.

J.T.

December 2017

I have been playing golf for 30 years. I have a M1, Epic, and G30. I already liked the G30 LST better than the others so I thought I would give the 400 LST a try. Best driver ever. The smaller head makes it easy to swing and I evidently am swinging it faster without extra effort. Picked up 10 to 15 yards over the other 3 drivers and also very forgiving. Even the low spin version is very forgiving. If you don't get this driver you are missing out.

Gordon Montgomery

December 2017

Not only a fantastic looking Driver but the performance, feel and sound are excellent.

Dane

December 2017

The course I normally play had one as a demo. Couldn’t believe the accuracy and distance. I’m not very good but this made me feel like a good golfer. I can’t express how easy it was to hit this without sounding like a sales man. In my first time playing it got 20-30 more yards and stayed out of the beans. And playing in windy Hawaii it was great how true it stayed in flight. Hope to get one after Christmas as I can’t afford one yet. It’s all I can think about hahaha.

PEDRO

December 2017

What is so interesting to me is that not just myself that finds this G400 an awesome driver, but so does all the reviewers on this website. Just went to my club fitting evening was given 10.5 deg loft regular/graphite shaft (Ping) and hit it straight and sweetly with more distance down the driving range. My swing has not changed only got slower over the years so the designers at PING have got this one right in my opinion and I am very happy golfer now and into 2018. I always watch Golfalot reviews with keen interest which are always in a down to earth theme.

PhillipW

November 2017

This was my first driver purchase since I bought my Ping G5 in 2003 and I've added a good 20-30 yards on average to my drives with this new driver. I used to lack. The distance to outdrive my friends, but now I am easily past them all. I had no idea my old driver was that short compared to this one. I am not considering upgrading my hybrids with G400's as well for the same reason - distance.

Jake

November 2017

It’s early because I just recently purchased the Ping G400, but so far this driver is absolutely amazing! I’ve hit 44 of the last 55 fairways. Only one drive O.B. and that one caught an edge of a cart path and bounced out. The other misses were just a few yards off the fairway. For me that’s off the charts. My Callaway XR was about 5-10 yards longer, but not nearly as accurate. 57% of fairways hit. The Ping G400 results have me very interested in the 3 and 5 metals/woods.

Robert

October 2017

Too pricy and not much improvement from the G30 for me .

Aussie Ox.

October 2017

Thank you Ping. From my first game and four weeks later. I cannot take the smile of my face. I have began to enjoy my game again - assisted with my i200's. My game is also supported by the G400 3 &5 woods. The G400 driver SFT is the most forgiving driver I have owned, with added distance and control. Love the 12 degree. I'm tempted to by a second one in case I wear this one out. * Stars

Ordered the G400 with Tour 65 Shaft Standard Specs expecting the Driver to be 45.25" in length. After receiving club asked Ping for the Specs this morning to be told my driver length
( Standard ) 45.75" ? How is that for a confusing set up? Clear as MUD.
I wanted a driver length of about 45" but was quite happy to go to 45.25"
Be careful when ordering your new golf clubs about what you are actually getting.

Ken Barun

September 2017

I wa fine with my new Mizuno but the Ping seems more consistent in ball flight, spin and distance. It is a great sound and the sweet spot certainly is expanded. Pricey but all that is relative to how much you look at golf in general.

Good Club but be sure which type you are buying....

August 2017

I hit the G400 in a simulator a few times (10 degree loft) and I hit it very well. I had a TaylorMade R1 but my right to left shot inclination caused me to leave it in the bag in favour of my shorter but straighter 3 wood; I've hit some monster drives with the R1 but more frequently I hit monster misses way out of play.
I compared the two in the sim and I averaged a few yards further with the R1 but my off-line average/accuracy was far far better. Before my R1 I had an R580 but I hooked the cover off that too. I wondered if there was a reason, aside from my swing type, that made TaylorMade's bad news for me and I think I found it. The G400 boasts the most rearward weighting of any driver on the market, as opposed to Taylormades which are weighted in the exact opposite fashion. The rear weighting of the G400 appears to help me from overly closing the club face and blasting shots way way left.

Ryan M

August 2017

Hi there I just purchased the new G400 driver, although a bit out of my price budget after having a few practice swings with it in the American Golf shop I had to buy it, I took it on the course this morning and it didn't disappoint, every drive was long and straight, I couldn't believe the distance and accuracy I was hitting, I am a high handicapper and I'm sure this will and has improved my game, hitting an extra 20/30 yards on my old TaylorMade driver. Big smile after every shot, well done. An amazing club.

Richard

August 2017

Very straight and 10 yds further than my old club a XX10. I had tried other drivers over the last year but the G400 is the first one to better my old club. Just had to buy it.

Great improvement

August 2017

Great improvement and extra distance.

Tom burns

July 2017

WOW! This was a really comprehensive analysis and clear explanation of the 'high tech' jargon on the Ping website. I enjoyed the no nonsense approach and listening to the sound of the presenters drives. Great Job! Thanks a lot, I'm off to try one a golftown tomorrow! Tom